Newel-post.



No. 885,477. PATENTED APR. 21

.T.E. HOLBBIN.

NEWEL POST.

APPLICATION IILED AUG. 26.1907.

2 Simms-SHEET 1.

fn: mmms r: co., wAsHmcmN. n. c.

No. 885,477. PATENTBD APR. 21, 1908.

, J. E. HOLBBIN.

NEWBL POST.

APPLICTION FILED AUG. 261907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH E. HOLBEIN, OF EVANS CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

NEWEL-POST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 21, 1908.

Application filed August 26, 1907. Serial No. 390,213.

T o all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOSEPH. E. I-IoLBEiN, of Evans City, Pennsylvania, have invented certain -new and useful Improvements in Newel-Posts, and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

rThis invention is an improvement in newel posts and its object is to produce a post which can be used for open or closed string stairways and can be adjusted for any height balustrade from 20 to 32 inches, the usual extremes of width, thus doino` away with the necessity of having differentlengths of posts and bases in stock. And this invention renders it possible for an ordinary carpenter to set the post and do the work which has heretofore necessarily been performed by expert stair-builders.

The invention therefore consists primarily in the novel construction of the post, the same being built up out of a number of ieces fitted together as hereinafter explainec and secondarily further consists in providing such post with a rear adjustable sliding base piece which can be adjusted to suit the height of the lower run of the balustrade and will resent a neat finish7 without necessitatmg any alteration in the front or sides of the post.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one form of newel post embodying the several features of the invention, which I will now describe in detail with reference to said drawings, but obviously the invention is not restricted to the specific form or design of newel post illustrated in said drawings.

Figure 1 is a face view of the complete post. Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a rear view showing the adjustable section elevated. Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section on line 4-4, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse section on line 5 5, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse scction on line 6-6, Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view showing the connection between tie pieces and corner uprights.

The main body of the newel post is composed of four vertical corner pieces or uprights 1 which are provided on their inner faces with grooves 1a in which are fitted the edges of the connecting ties and panels by which the corner pieces are connected. The ties and panels fill the spaces between the ad- ,l jacent corner pieces and form therewith a hollow tubular post body. The arrangement of these panels and ties can be varied according to the design of the post.

As shown the corner pieces 1 are connected at their up )er ends by ties 2 which have tongues 2a 'fitted into the grooves 1*L of the corner pieces, the outer surfaces of the ties 2 being preferably flush with the outer surface of the corner pieces. Below the ties 2 are similar ties 3 which are fitted to the corner pieces in a similar manner. Between the ties 2 and 3 are panels 4 which are secured in the recesses in the channels l of the adjacentcorner pieces and under the overlapping edges of the adjacent ties 2 and 3. n

Below the ties 3 are larger panels 5 which may be ornamented in any suitable manner and are similarly secured between the corner pieces and ties 3 and 6. Below the panels 5 are other ties 6 secured to the corner ieces 1 like the ties 2 and 3. The lower en( of the corner pieces may be connected by additional ties 7 as shown.

The rear face of the post is slightly different from the front and sides in that the rear panel 4 is omitted, or rather it is replaced by a piece 4X which is flush with the outer surfaces of the corner ieces and is so formed for the purpose of ena )ling the upper run of the balustrade, or hand rail of the banister7 to be attached thereto. 1

The opposed corners of adjacent corner pieces 1 may be 'finished like ornamental molding, as shown at 1b, and the outer edges of the ties 2, 3, 6 and 7 are finished oppositely to and correspondingly with the side edges 1b of the corner pieces to make a close fit thereagainst. The edges of ties 2, 3, 6, adjacent the panels 3 and 5 are similarly molded as shown at 2b, 3b, 6b, correspondingly with the molded edges 1b of the corner pieces so that the panels appear to be set in 0. G. molded frames.

The base of the post is formed by boards S attached to the front and sides of the post, as shown, and these base boards project below the corner pieces and below the ties 7, and are made long enough to enable the total length of the post to be considerably shortened if desired by cutting off the lower portion of the base; this enables the post to be readily adapted to various heights of balustrades of stairways, by simply cutting off the base and does away with the necessity of having to keep in stock various lengths of posts.

The rear side of the ost base is provided with a sliding panel or sllide 9, fitted between guide strips 10, the upper edges of the slide 9 and the guide strips l0 being molded correspondingly to the upper edges of the baseboards 8, with which the upper ends of the strips l0 are flush, and the upper edge of slide 9 is also flush with the upper edgeof strips l0 when the panel is fully lowered. The side edges of the panel are similarly molded so that the post will present a neat finish and appearance in any position of the adjustable slide, as indicated in Fig. 3.

The lower run or base-board of the balustrade is to be attached to slide 9 and the latter is made adjustable so that the post can be fitted to any height of balustrade by first cutting the post base to bring the part 4X to proper height for attachment of the upper run or hand-rail of the banister.

thereto, and then theslide 9 can be adjusted to suit the position of the base-board and lower rail of the banister, according to the distance between the hand-rail and -such baseboard.

The tie 6 at the rear side of the post is placed below the lower edge of the panel 5 and a false tie 6X is attached to the upper edge of slide 9 (Figs. 2 and 3) and is adjustable therewith so as to preserve the symmetrical appearance of the rear panel in all positions of the slide.

The utility of the invention will be obvious from the foregoing and its adaptability to various heights of balustrades, and the ease of its adjustment or fitting thereto will be at once apparent.

The top of the post may be finished in any desired manner, as shown a top plate l1 is fastened to and over the upper ends of the corner pieces 1 and ties 2. The edges of this top plate may be a mold-finished in any suitable manner. A molding l2 may be fastened under the projecting edges of this top plate; an ornamental molding 13 may be run around the post adjacent the ties 3 if desired. An ornamental cap l5 may be placed on top of the plate ll. These ornamental features are accessories, and not material features of the post, and can be varied to suit the designer, Other changes may be made in the general appearance and form of the post while retaining the essential novel features of construction and adjustability of parts and adaptability of the post to various sizes of balustrades substantially as above explained.

It is obvious that the sliding or eXtensible base piece can be used in connection with various kinds and constructions of newel posts and is not restricted to the particular construction of newel post shown, although specially adapted for use therewith` Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A newel post having an adjustable slide on its base, substantially as described.

2. A newel post having a base provided with an adjustable slide on its rear face, for the purpose and substantially as described.

3. In combination with a newel post, a base therefor comprising front and side members attached to the lower portion of the post, and an adjustable slide attached to the rear side of the post, for the purpose specified.

4. In combination with a post, a base therefor comprising front and side boards rigidly attached ,to lthe lower portion ofthe post, and a slide and guide strips therefor attached to the rear side of the post, said slide and strip being adjustable, for the purpose specified.

5. A newel post comprising vertical corner pieces longitudinally grooved on their opposed faces, ties connecting said corner pieces, panels interposed between the ties and adjacent corner pieces, a base secured to the lower ,end of the post composed of front and side pieces attached to the post; anda slide forming the rear portion of the base,

said slide being vertically adjustable, for the y two witnesses.

' JOSEPH E. HOLBEI'N.

Witnesses:

S. J. SrMs, W. P. KINSEY, 

